Ten Defining Moments
by Shawny Wong
Summary: NaruHina. Fluff, angst, drama, and a whole lot of sappy romance. Stir well. A story that spans 10 special events in Naruto and Hinata’s lives. Written for the Thirty Kisses community on Live Journal. theme #10 #10 Rated for mild cursing and implied sex
1. It took 10 years

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

Summary: NaruHina. Take some fluff, a dash of angst, a pinch of drama, and a whole lot of sappy romance. Stir well. A story that spans 10 special events in Naruto and Hinata's lives. Written for the Thirty Kisses community on Live Journal. (theme #10 #10) Rated for mild cursing and implied sex.

* * *

**It took 10 years for Hinata to tell Naruto that she loved him.**

* * *

Hinata waited nervously in front of Ichiraku Ramen.

She was going to confess to Naruto today. She _was_! She had crushed on him since she was eight. She had loved him since she was twelve. She was eighteen now – and much stronger in every way that counted. She could do this! It had been almost a _decade_ since she'd fallen in love with him. And he _still_ didn't know! It was getting ridiculous!

And…

Hinata was running out of time. Ever since she turned thirteen, nobles and other prestigious members of society had been making offers for her hand in marriage. The Hyuuga clan was one of the most powerful and influential clans in the Land of Fire. A family with a Hyuuga wife gained that much more prestige and influence. If it hadn't been for her father, the clan would have married her off to the highest bidder years ago. (Thank goodness he wasn't in a hurry to see her married off!) But even with her father's protection, if she didn't have a serious suitor by the time she turned nineteen, she knew the elders would demand that she accept one of the marriage contracts – for the good of the clan. Hinata had turned eighteen five days ago – and already the pressure was increasing.

She needed to know if she had _any_ chance at all with Naruto. He didn't have any romantic interest in anyone at the moment. When he had returned from his three-year training trip with Jiraya-sama of the Legendary Sanin, his old crush on Sakura had fizzled out. Naruto and Sakura were still close, but they acted more like siblings than boyfriend and girlfriend. The watched out for each other and teased each other and even _fought_ like siblings over small inconsequential things. (It reminded her of her own relationship with her teammates. Kiba and Shino were like the older brothers she never had – though they never fought quite like Naruto and Sakura!) Naruto had stopped asking Sakura out _years_ ago. At least, that was one less worry. If Naruto had still been interested in Sakura, then she would have had _no_ chance at all…

If she stood absolutely no chance at all with Naruto… then she would accept one of the marriage contracts – for the good of the clan. Really, she was being selfish. She should have accepted an arranged marriage with a stranger, years ago. If she had not loved Naruto, she would have. It wouldn't have mattered then. She knew she would eventually have to get married; so it might as well be for the benefit of the clan. But…

She loved Naruto so much! If he could return her feelings, she would be selfish and go against her clan to be with him. If he could not… (Hinata closed her eyes. Her heart _hurt_ just thinking of that possibility.) If he could not… then she needed to stop being so selfish and accept her fate.

"Hi, Hinata!"

Hinata jumped back startled at the loud greeting. Her eyes snapped open. It was Naruto!

"N-N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata cursed herself for the stutter. Over the years, she had managed to train herself out of the detestable stutter. In most situations, it was gone for good. But her nervousness around Naruto always seemed to bring it back.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto tilted his head inquisitively. Hinata blushed. He was so _cute_ when he did that!

"I w-w-was…" Hinata took a deep breath and tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. "I was waiting for you, Naruto-kun. Can I talk to you in private?"

"Oh? Sure, Hinata. Do you want to take a walk?"

"All right."

They walked leisurely without speaking – sneaking glances at each other every now and then. Naruto looked at her curiously. (What did she want to talk to him about?) Hinata was surprised when Naruto led her to the Konoha Public Park. They finally stopped at a lonely bench that was out of sight from the main populated areas of the park.

"Sometimes, I come here when I need to think. Hardly anyone ever comes by this way. What did you want to talk about?"

Hinata thought she had been prepared for this - except suddenly, she couldn't speak! She caught herself pressing her fingers together and quickly sat on her hands to stop. Her mouth was dry and the words stuck in her throat. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

_Why can't I do this?_

"Hinata?" Naruto asked again after a long moment of silence. "Is something wrong?"

_I have to tell him!_ Hinata thought desperately. _I have to tell him how much…_

"I love you!"

Naruto stiffened in shock. He turned to stare at her so quickly he almost gave himself whiplash.

"What?!"

Hinata looked away miserably. That hadn't come out the way she intended. The pretty speech she had been practicing about how she admired his perseverance and how he inspired her to change herself... All of it had flown out of her head in her desperation to say something – anything! Now Naruto was gaping at her like she'd grown two heads.

She had started… and she might as well finish – even if it made her look like a fool.

"I-I-I love you, Naruto-kun. Ever since the Academy, I've… I've admired you. E-e-ever since we graduated… I've loved you."

"I… I don't know what to say." Naruto ran a hand through his hair making it spikier than ever. "I… You're a good friend Hinata – and precious to me. But I… love? Are you sure?" he asked lamely. He caught the expression on her face and grimaced. "Right. Stupid question."

An uncomfortable silence settled around them. Hinata blinked back tears. He didn't love her. She'd _known_ that! She'd made things awkward between them. Having his friendship was better than nothing. Now she didn't even have that. She should _never_ have said anything. His next question shocked her out of her misery.

"What about the Kyubi?" Naruto slowly placed a hand over his stomach. His eyes never left hers.

"What about it?"

Several years ago, when the Akatsuki had been a threat, Naruto had revealed his secret to all his friends. The organization made up of S-class criminals and missing nin had desired the power of the Kyubi no Youko for their own evil ends. And they were targeting all of Naruto's friends to get at him. He hadn't wanted to tell anyone his darkest secret. He selfishly wanted to keep his friends – by keeping them ignorant. But in the end, his conscience won over his selfish desires. It wouldn't have been fair to them if they didn't know _why_ the Akatsuki were coming after them. Despite his fears, _none_ of his friendships had been damaged by the knowledge that Naruto had the greatest of all demons sealed within him. Instead, _all_ of his friendships had gotten _stronger_ – if that were possible. His friends stood up for him whenever any of the villagers mistreated him – and even went as far as boycotting certain local merchants. He had never been more grateful for having such wonderful friends.

"I have a demon fox sealed in my gut. That doesn't bother you? How can you still love me?"

"Naruto-kun, I told you three years ago that the Kyubi would not change anything between us. You are Uzumaki Naruto – a ninja of Konoha – and my precious friend. You are not the demon fox. The Kyubi didn't matter then. Why would it matter now?"

"I don't know. I guess I must be slow?" Naruto smiled a little at her words and the conviction he could feel behind them. He shook his head. "I'm flattered, Hinata. I had no idea you felt that way. But… I don't… I don't love you. Not like that."

"I know," she whispered – and knowing for sure _hurt _more than she ever expected. She got up to leave – because if she didn't leave _now_, she was going to cry in front of him. It was bad enough he didn't love her back. She didn't want him to see her cry – to see her weakness, too.

Naruto caught her hand before she could go. He smiled one of his beautiful _true_ smiles at her.

"But… You know… back when I was twelve and head over heels for Sakura-chan, I would have given _anything_ for her to give me a chance – to let me take her out on a date – and for her to just _try_ to see if she could like me back. I guess, what I'm trying to say is… I don't love you _now_. I've never even _thought_ of you as a potential girlfriend, but I like you."

Hinata held her breath. She didn't want to hope – because it would be too painful if she were wrong. Still…

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" Naruto looked almost… shy.

It was the happiest moment of her life.

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

Written for the Thirty Kisses community on Live Journal. See my profile for more information on the Thirty Kisses challenge.

I'm sorry! I'm supposed to be working on chapter 6 of One Small Step, but then I was hit over the head with _this_ little plot bunny for theme #10 #10. It was only supposed to be a very _short_ oneshot going over 10 events in Naruto and Hinata's relationship that was _maybe_ going to be about 1000 words – and only take a few hours to write.

6 days later, I'm up to well over 11,000 words, over 30 pages in Microsoft Word, and I'm only on event number _7_! And I haven't written a single word for chapter 6 of One Small Step! (_moans_) I hate my muse!

This was turning into a _monster_ of a oneshot. So I'm splitting it into a set of 10 short parts that all fall into theme #10. (The parts range in length from 127 up to 4311 words – so they're not really chapters. I think.) There's no kiss in part 1, but rest assured that this thing has so many kisses in parts 2 to 10, that I've lost count! Like I said, I only have 3 more events to go before this story is complete. This story will be finished _fast_. Then I'll get back to OSS.

Finally, this story was made possible by my husband – who generously watched the kids and kept them out of my hair and away from my laptop for _hours_ last weekend. He's the reason I was able to write as much as I did. Thanks, Honey! (_smiles_)


	2. It took 10 dates

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 dates for Naruto to kiss her.**

* * *

It was their tenth date – not that Hinata was counting or anything…

_Oh! Who am I kidding?_

She was _definitely_ counting. Each date had been absolutely amazing – all because she was with Naruto. She had Naruto's undivided attention; he was finally _looking_ at her! He must have liked what he saw, too, because one date had turned into two dates. Two dates had become three, then four, and now… ten! They had eaten lunch at Ichiraku Ramen, strolled through the Konoha Public Park, saw the latest movie starring Fujikaze Yukie (Naruto's favorite actress), and watched the sunset from the Hokage monument.

Hinata sighed happily thinking of all their dates. This time, they were having a picnic outside of the village. Naruto had found the perfect spot by a small lake – and told her to bring a swimsuit so that they could go swimming afterwards. Truthfully, it wouldn't have mattered to Hinata if they just spent all their time at Ichiraku Ramen. As long as she was with Naruto, she would have been perfectly happy. But Naruto turned out to be a surprisingly considerate date. He put a lot of thought into where to take her and always made sure she had a good time.

_I wish he would kiss me._

She blushed at the thought. Naruto had been a perfect gentleman each time they went out. He held her hand – and sometimes he hugged her. It was wonderful… only Hinata wanted him to _want_ her, too. Maybe he would kiss her today?

Hinata hummed as she finished preparing their picnic lunch and packed everything carefully into a large basket. She couldn't wait to see Naruto again!

* * *

Naruto lay back on the picnic blanket content. Hinata had amazing culinary skills. (Which was good because Naruto's culinary skills consisted of pre-made ration bars, pouring milk for cereal, and boiling water for instant ramen.) For their picnic, she had made finger sandwiches, onigiri, cake, and homemade ramen (with the noodles and the broth packed in separate thermoses so that the noodles wouldn't get soggy). He watched his girlfriend re-pack the empty food containers and dirty utensils into the basket.

Hinata surprised him.

Despite what he'd said about giving their relationship a chance and asking her out on their first date, he _never_ expected to like her as more than a friend. But she surprised him. The more he learned about her, the more he liked her. She was sweet, funny, and kind. She had a sense of humor. She was fun to tease. She didn't mind any of his quirks – instead she found them cute. She seemed genuinely happy to be in his company – even when they weren't doing anything. He found himself looking forward to their dates, like a child anticipating Christmas. He found himself going out of his way to see her – even when they didn't have anything planned because she always made him feel like smiling. He found himself _missing_ her when he didn't get to see her every single day.

That last revelation surprised him – and _scared_ him more than he wanted to admit because...

_I think I'm falling in love with her._

"A yen for your thoughts?"

"Are you sure they're worth that much?" Naruto joked as he sat up.

"Probably not," Hinata teased. She smiled at his pouting face. "I'm just kidding, Naruto-kun. They're actually worth _much_ more than that. But a yen is all I have. What were you thinking so seriously about?"

"I was just thinking…"

_About how amazing you are…_

"… about going for a swim. Want to check out the water? It looks great."

After an hour in the water, Naruto had enough. He sat on the bank in only his dark orange swim trunks letting the sun dry him off and lazily watched his girlfriend on the water. He'd always thought she was cute – in that girl-next-door kind of way. But he'd only ever seen her in very modest (and somewhat unflattering) clothing. In what she was wearing now – a dark purple one-piece swimsuit – "cute" didn't do her justice. She had toned muscles and no extra fat anywhere – thanks to years of ninja training – with a slim waist and curves in all the right places. After three years of training under the self-proclaimed "super-pervert" also known as Jiraya of the Sanin, Naruto had learned to appreciate the beauty of the female body, in a purely aesthetic way, of course. Any other way and both Tsunade-baa-chan and Sakura would pound him into the ground. Naruto shuddered inwardly.

Hinata was _hot_. Why had he never noticed before? Naruto nervously looked over his shoulder – almost expecting his wayward thoughts to conjure up either Tsunade-baa-chan or Sakura.

_Ero-sennin would love to peep on Hinata-chan._ The thought of Ero-sennin (or anyone else for that matter) watching Hinata and appreciating her physical "assets" made him angry and fiercely protective. _If he tries, I'll shove a Rasengan up his ass!_

Hinata was using chakra to stand on top of the water – and practicing her chakra control and doing some sort of water-based jutsu. She almost looked like she was dancing. There was something familiar about her movements, as if he'd seen them before somewhere. Naruto was not a genius – but he had a very good memory for jutsu.

_That can't be right, though. I've never seen Hinata practicing on water before._

Still… there was something _right_ _there_ in the back of his mind. If only he could remember what it was! He watched mesmerized… until Hinata twirled and spun, causing the water to rise with her chakra to form into a sphere around her… and the nagging memory _clicked_. Naruto sucked in a deep breath.

_No way! That was Hinata?_

Hinata loved the water. She had a natural affinity for it; she was _good_ at using water-based jutsu. Having been labeled a failure for most of her early life, Hinata reveled in her ability to manipulate water so flawlessly. Practicing on water was more fun and invigorating than practicing on land. When Naruto stopped swimming to rest on the bank, she started practicing a few chakra control exercises and some simple katas. Soon, she was so lost in her own little world that she completely forgot that she still had an audience. Her body moved on autopilot – and performed her original jutsu, Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou (Guardian Eight Divination Signs, Sixty-Four Palms of the Hand), with her eyes closed.

"That was you."

Hinata gasped and opened her eyes. Naruto was standing on the water less than ten feet away. He was staring at her like he'd never seen her before. She blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

"All those years ago… on that mission to find the Bikochu, that girl dancing in the waterfall… the girl I thought I'd dreamed… that was _you_."

With every word he spoke, he took another step forward until he was standing right next to her – and so close that they were practically touching. The way he was looking at her… like he found her _irresistible_… made her feel flustered and strangely restless. Suddenly, it became difficult to breathe. Hinata had to look away.

"Yes."

Naruto's hand gently grasped her chin and tilted her head back up to face him. Time seemed to slow down.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

And then between one heartbeat and the next… He captured her lips in a searing kiss that made her _burn_.


	3. It took 10 months

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 months for Naruto to return her feelings.**

* * *

Hinata was heading out on a routine mission with her team. It was a simple courier mission. The Hokage had sensitive scrolls to deliver to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. In return, the Daimyo had sensitive secret documents for the Hokage. Her team was to deliver the scrolls to him in his palace in the capitol city of the Land of Fire – and wait to receive the documents the Hokage needed before heading back to Konoha. Naruto was seeing her off. They walked hand in hand to the East Gate. Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were already waiting just outside the gate. Hinata smiled – grateful to her teammates for the privacy they were giving her.

"I love you, Naruto-kun." Hinata said softly. She marveled at how easily the words rolled off her tongue.

"Be careful out there, Hinata-chan. I'll miss you."

Naruto leaned forward and gave her a kiss that made her toes tingle and her heart beat faster. Even after all these months, kissing him still made her feel like she could fly. She didn't want to go! She just wanted to keep kissing him! She sighed sadly as Naruto pulled back.

"I'll be careful. Good-bye, Naruto-kun."

* * *

The capitol city was beautiful. The Land of Fire was prospering. As a result, wealthy patrons could hire artists and architects to make their city great. There were tall white buildings with marble columns. Enormous stained glass windows decorated the Great Library. The smallest of the city's public parks was at least twice the size of the Konoha Public Park and boasted even more exotic blooms.

She and her team had arrived at the capitol with no trouble – and they had personally delivered the scrolls to the Daimyo. However, they had made such good time that the return documents were not yet prepared for them to take back. So they were staying at a plush hotel in the center of the city courtesy of the Daimyo. The suite they had been provided with was luxurious – consisting of three individual bedrooms connected to a common sitting room with large floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the beautiful city. At night, lanterns and streetlights twinkled like small stars creating a spectacular view. All of them – even Kiba and Akamaru who usually liked to explore the big city – had retired early. But Hinata had been unable to sleep. So she had pulled one of the armchairs closer to the windows and gazed out into the night. It really was a beautiful city.

Hinata hated it.

Being here only reminded her that her time was running out. Three of her arranged marriage proposals came from wealthy noble families living in this city. They were generous offers – the clan would benefit greatly (both politically and monetarily) if she accepted any one of them. But Hinata loved Naruto.

Telling Naruto that she loved him was as easy as breathing. She couldn't understand why it had been so very hard to confess that first time. The second and third times she said those words ("I love you, Naruto-kun.") she had been surprised at how natural it had felt. It seemed that once he knew… she had no difficulty confirming it. It made her happy to say those words to him; it filled her with euphoria and brought all her feelings rushing to the surface.

Unfortunately, it also _hurt_ every time she said it, because Naruto never said it back. In the first few months, Hinata simply pushed the hurt feelings aside. Of course, Naruto didn't love her, not yet. He was just getting to really know her. As time passed, that excuse became more and more flimsy. She and Naruto had been dating for almost a year. They spent all their free time together. Times were peaceful, so neither of them had been sent away for long missions. They had the luxury of time. Time to date. Time to talk. Time to laugh. Time to kiss. She could honestly say that she learned more about Naruto than she ever expected. The same held true for Naruto, as well.

He really knew her – all of her – now. And it seemed as if, he still couldn't love her. (She didn't doubt he cared. But love?) No matter how many times she said, "I love you" – Naruto never said it back. She wondered if he ever would.

The sound of a bedroom door opening jolted her from her depressing thoughts. Kiba walked into the common area simultaneously yawning and rubbing his eyes. He was halfway across the room and pouring a glass of water from the pitcher before he woke enough to notice her sitting by the window.

"Hinata? What are you doing up in the middle of the night? Are you… Are you _crying_?" That last word came out almost like a yelp. If there was one thing Kiba – battle-hardened ninja that he was – could not face, it was tears from the girl who was like a sister to him. Kiba was horrified, panicked, and half ready to run to get Shino's help.

"Am I?" Hinata brought her hands to her face and was surprised to find tears. "I guess… I am. I didn't even notice."

"What's wrong?" Kiba eyed Shino's closed door even as he dragged another chair to Hinata's corner and sat next to her.

"Nothing." Hinata looked back out the window trying – and failing – to ignore Kiba's penetrating stare. He didn't believe her. Obviously. She sighed, "Everything."

"I'm not going away, unless it's to go get Shino. Would you rather talk to him?" Kiba asked after a moment of silence. Hinata shook her head.

_Damn! I guess it's up to me then._ Kiba almost wished she said yes. _I'm just not good at this touchy feely girl talk stuff!_ The one (and only) time he saw his older sister cry, Hana had tried to kick him. He'd only been trying to help! How was he supposed to know that you just _don't_ tell a girl who's been crying that she looks terrible – even if it was true?

"If you don't want me to wake him up, you can talk to me instead. I'll listen."

"I was just looking around the capitol city. Being here… it depresses me. I keep thinking… in a few more months, _this_ could be my new home. I might live here. And I hate it – because it's not Konoha."

"What? Why?" Kiba nearly jumped to his feet. Hinata was leaving Konoha? Leaving Team 8? When? He was _way_ out of his depth. Why him? Why didn't _Shino_ get up for a glass of water?

"You know about all of the arranged-marriage proposals that I've been getting since I turned thirteen, right?"

Kiba nodded.

"The only reason I haven't been married off is because my father is letting me choose. But the elders on our clan council want me married – or at least engaged before I'm twenty. Father's put them off for years. He's always told them I was too young. But I'll be nineteen soon. Girls from noble families are nearly always married before they turn twenty. Father won't be able to put them off forever." Hinata shrugged. "Three of the best offers come from families that live in this city – so they want me to pick one of those three."

"But they can't _force_ you to get married, right?"

Hinata didn't answer.

"They can't. Right?"

"No. They can't, but they can make things difficult for Father – and for me."

"Then… I don't understand. What's the problem?"

"I've decided to… to accept one of the offers – for the good of the clan."

"What?!" This time Kiba did leap to his feet. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing – except all Inuzuka had enhanced hearing. When an Inuzuka channeled chakra to their ears, he could hear a twig snap from over half a mile away. Even without chakra, they could hear whispers across the building and behind closed doors. So there was absolutely no way he'd misheard her.

"What about Naruto?"

"Naruto-kun…" she whispered. Hinata wrapped her arms protectively around herself. "I don't think Naruto-kun loves me."

"What? Are you crazy? He's nuts about you! Whenever the guys get together, he always talks about how great you are!"

"Has he ever said he loves me?"

Kiba's first instinct was to say, "Of course, he has!" but the words died on the tip of his tongue. He carefully thought back and couldn't recall Naruto ever using the word "love" when he talked about Hinata. Naruto always talked about how "great" or "beautiful" or "wonderful" Hinata was. But…

"Well… No," he said slowly. "But that doesn't mean he doesn't love you… That's not something he'd say to his guy friends, you know."

"Apparently, that's not something he says to his girlfriend, either."

Even without his superior hearing, Kiba couldn't miss the heartbreaking sorrow in her voice.

"You mean all this time… all these months you've been together… and he's never told you he loves you?" Kiba knew he was gaping like a fish, but couldn't seem to get his jaw off the ground.

"Never."

"He knows you love him, right?"

"Yes. I told him before our first date – and hundreds of times since. Every time I tell him… he smiles and kisses me or tells me I'm beautiful or how happy he is that I'm his girlfriend. But… He's never said it. Not once."

Kiba growled, suddenly angry on his sister's behalf – because Hinata really was his sister in every way that mattered, just like Shino was his brother. He clenched his fists. "When we get back, I'm going to kick his ass!"

"No! Kiba! Don't!" Hinata pleaded. "You can't force someone to love you. Naruto-kun has been very good to me. He gave me a chance. He gave me ten of the happiest months in my life. Only… I failed. I had a chance… and I couldn't change his heart. Now I know that Naruto-kun's never going to fall in love with me."

"I'm sure that's not true. Just give it a little more time." Kiba awkwardly gave Hinata a hug and did his best to comfort her. It would have been more comforting if Kiba actually believed his own words, except he didn't. Naruto usually wore his heart on his sleeve. (It was almost embarrassingly easy to read Naruto's emotions at times.) He usually said exactly what he was feeling. Was Hinata right?

"No. I've already had almost a year. Naruto-kun is kind. He won't break up with me even if he can't love me. So… I'm going to let him go. That way, he'll be free to find a girl who he _can_ fall in love with. And… I think it would be better for me if… if I left Konoha. It would hurt too much to stay and watch him love someone else."

"That doesn't mean you have to get married though!" Kiba protested. "Couldn't you just take a long term assignment or transfer to one of our allied villages?"

"It's 'for the good of the clan.'" Hinata smiled sadly. "If I had a chance to marry Naruto-kun – I would take it in a heartbeat. But if I can't be with him… It just doesn't matter."

"If you tell Naruto…"

"No! I'm not going to pressure him into marrying me!"

"But…"

"No! I'm not going to tell him. And you won't either. Promise me, Kiba."

Kiba wanted to say "No way in Hell!" but… Hinata looked so fierce just then. He sighed. He was a sucker for his sisters. It was good thing he only had two – and it was also a good thing that neither Hana nor Hinata took advantage of him _too_ often.

"Fine. I won't say anything. But please, please don't do anything yet. Just give it some more time." Kiba crossed his fingers behind his back. He wouldn't say anything to Naruto. But he was definitely going to talk to Shino. This affected their pack. Shino needed to know – and maybe he would have some idea of how to help because Kiba was stumped.

* * *

A few days later…

Naruto dashed almost frantically to the Konoha Hospital. He had been chatting with Izumo and Kotetsu when the news arrived. Team 8 was back, but not without injuries. He didn't wait to hear more and took off in a flash for the hospital.

_Hinata-chan! Please be okay! Please be okay!_

The last ten months with Hinata had been the happiest of his life. Training with Hinata, smiling with Hinata, _being_ with Hinata became his _life_. He needed her more than he needed oxygen. How would he cope if she were gone? The spike of fear that thought generated spurred him to go faster.

Kiba and Shino sat outside the doors leading to the operating room. The green light above the doors was on, indicating a surgery in progress. Akamaru lay at their feet whining pathetically every few minutes. They all sported minor injuries, none of it serious. Shino had sprained a wrist. Akamaru had been singed by a fire jutsu that had gotten too close for comfort. He suffered a few second-degree burns and still smelled like smoke. Kiba had flesh wound caused by a kunai to his leg and a few other minor scrapes. Their injuries had been treated in the hallway because all of them refused to leave. The only reason they had survived the ambush mostly intact had been because of Hinata and her absolute defense, the Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou. Only in order to protect them all, she had expanded the sphere of coverage to almost triple its normal size – and she had been forced to maintain that defense for too long – much too long. After the initial onslaught was over, they were all unscathed and ready to fight back. But Hinata had been exhausted – keeping the Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshou going at triple its normal size and for so long… it had drained her chakra to dangerous levels. By the time they were locked in close combat, she barely had enough chakra to use her Jyuken.

Their mission was a success. They had protected the secret documents entrusted to them by the Daimyo and delivered them to the Hokage. But Hinata…

Kiba clenched his fist angrily. Hinata had incurred serious injuries. She might even die!

Just then, Naruto burst in. He caught sight of Team 8 and sprinted to them, ignoring the indignant nurses and doctors that he nearly bowled over on his way.

"Hinata-chan! Where is she? Is she okay?"

"Hinata is currently in surgery with Tsunade-sama," said Shino curtly. "Her injuries were severe. We do not know her current condition."

"Oh." Naruto paled and almost collapsed on the bench across from them.

Kiba stood up slowly – with anger blazing hot in his chest. Logically, he knew he wasn't actually angry with Naruto. His anger was directed inward at _himself_. He should have been able to protect his sister! Why didn't he protect Hinata? Instead, she had protected him – and paid the price for it. But Naruto was a convenient target – and he was _right there_.

"'Oh.' Is that all you can say?" Kiba almost shouted. "Don't you care? Don't you love her?"

"Of course, I do!"

_Naruto-kun… I don't think Naruto-kun loves me… Every time I tell him… he smiles and kisses me… But… He's never said it. Not once._

Her words and the memory of her tears combined with Naruto's immediate _self-righteous_ defense… _How dare he!_ It was too much. Kiba lunged forward and slugged Naruto as hard as he could.

Naruto – and even Shino and Akamaru – looked at him in shock.

"Bastard! What was _that_ for?" Naruto put a hand to his throbbing cheek and looked up at Kiba furious at the unprovoked attack.

"Liar!" Kiba hissed. "She loves you. Right before she passed out, she asked me to tell you that she loves you. Even when she's about to die, the only thing she can think of is _you_! And you… you don't love her – or you wouldn't make her cry over your sorry butt!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Naruto shouted. Then, in a quiet voice, he asked, "Do I really make her cry?"

"Yes."

"But… Why? What did I do?" Naruto sounded so honestly bewildered that Kiba took pity on him.

"Hinata thinks that you don't love her." Kiba gave him a long measuring look. Naruto looked horrified by that revelation. "Do you?"

Naruto nodded once, but didn't say anything – though Kiba was close enough to hear him gulp.

"Then why haven't you told her?" Kiba exploded.

"_I can't._"

Were it not for his naturally enhanced hearing, Kiba would have missed the choked whisper. As it was, it only made him more furious. He moved to hit Naruto again – who was doing nothing to stop him – until Shino caught his fist. Kiba had forgotten all about his teammate. Behind the sunglasses and tall collar, he could tell that Shino was frowning. He cringed.

_Shit. Shino is pissed at me._

"Attacking Naruto will not make Hinata happy. Let's step away for a moment. I would like a private word with you. I was not aware that Hinata was in such distress."

Kiba could hear the silent accusation in Shino's clipped tone. (He hadn't found a chance to talk to Shino without Hinata around.)

_Yup. Definitely pissed._

* * *

The next day…

Naruto arrived at the hospital early, long before visiting hours started. Several hours after his confrontation with Kiba, Tsunade had announced that Hinata would make a full recovery. He almost collapsed; the relief he felt was nearly overwhelming. They had all wanted to see her right away. But Tsunade had forbidden visitors. Hinata was being kept sedated in order to hasten her recovery. Despite their protests, Tsunade remained firm and sent them all home to rest – especially the remaining members of Team 8. (Kiba had glared at him, as if it had been _his_ fault that they couldn't see Hinata.)

"Hi, Naruto. Are you here to see Hinata?" asked Sakura when she found him waiting listlessly in the visitor's lounge. She was getting ready to make her rounds at the hospital.

"Yeah. Tsunade-baa-chan wouldn't let me see her yesterday. Is she… Is she really going to be all right?" Despite Tsunade's words yesterday, Naruto _craved_ the extra reassurance.

"Of course. She's doing much better this morning. Tell you what… if you promise not to tell Tsunade-shisho I bent the rules, I'll let you in early to see her."

"Thanks, Sakura."

Sakura led the way to Hinata's room. Naruto followed quietly beside her.

"Just so you know, Hinata's still under sedation. She won't wake for a few more hours."

"That's okay. I just want to be with her."

"You should talk to her, too. It's a proven medical fact that injured people recover faster when the people they love talk to them. Even when they're asleep their subconscious knows that the people they love are there – and they can hear them."

"Sure."

Sakura frowned. Naruto was unnaturally subdued; he should have been much happier since he knew that Hinata would make a full recovery. Maybe Shino was right.

"Here we are, Naruto. I'll leave you here. I need to check on the other patients, but I'll be by to see Hinata later."

Naruto pushed the door open cautiously. He was almost afraid of what he might find. Hinata lay on a hospital bed asleep, like Sakura had said. Her face was pale – and there were bandages wrapped around her torso, but she appeared to be breathing easily. He sat next to her and took her free hand in one of his. Her other hand was attached to an I.V. (intravenous drip) with a pulse monitor over her index finger that kept track of her heartbeat. The steady beeping of the machine calmed him. She was still alive. She was still with him. His other hand reached out to stroke her silky black hair. He sighed.

"Hi, Hinata-chan. Sakura says that I should talk to you while you're sleeping because it'll help you recover faster. But I don't know what to say." Naruto felt awkward and clumsy, but pressed on. He would do anything to help Hinata.

"I'm sorry, Hinata-chan. Kiba says I made you cry because you think that I don't love you." He bit his lip and hesitated.

"That's not true, you know. You mean _everything_ to me. I would die just to see you smile. I can't even _think_ of living without you because when I do… it _hurts_ so much that it scares me to death. I've never _ever_ felt this way about anyone else in my life – not even Sakura.

"But I'm afraid.

"When I was young, old man Hokage hired a long line of child minders to take care of me. This was after I'd been kicked out of the orphanage and before I started the Academy and started living on my own. Most of them… well… it just never worked out. They did they're best _not_ to take care of me. Old man kept firing them and hiring another one. I must have gone through at least ten of them in just two or three months. And then… he found someone for me who worked out. She was an older lady, probably old enough to have grandkids of her own. She took good care of me and treated me well. At that point in my life… well… No one besides the old man had ever treated me like just another kid, you know? So I l-l-loved her. One day, I told her so.

"Do you know what she said?"

Naruto waited a moment. Her eyes were still closed and she didn't respond – not that he expected her to.

"No, of course you don't," he laughed bitterly, "because I never told _anyone_.

"At first she didn't say anything. She just kind of looked at me, like I was stupid, or something. Then she said she didn't want it. She didn't want it because… it was _worthless_ – just like me. She was a _professional_ child minder and she would do her job right because she had a reputation to maintain. She said, 'You love me, brat? Well, take it back. I don't want something so _worthless_. I'm just doing my job like a professional.'

"No one has ever wanted it, you know. No one has ever actually _wanted_ me to love them, except for you – not even Sakura or Sasuke. Sakura… she just wanted to be my friend. And Sasuke? You know what happened with Sasuke… He never even wanted to be my friend in the first place. I kind of… I don't know… just _forced_ him to be my friend.

"All my friends… I've always had to work hard to earn them. No one has ever just offered to be my friend for free. I've definitely never had anyone offer to just _love me_, like you do, for free. I keep thinking… I didn't earn this. You love me, but I didn't earn it. The best thing that ever happened to me just fell into my lap, for free. I didn't even have to try to win you over.

"I'm afraid, Hinata-chan. Someday, you'll wake up and see just how _worthless_ my love really is… and you'll take yours back. I thought that as long as I didn't say it… you'd never find out. But all I did was make you cry. I'm so stupid! I don't understand how you can love an idiot like me!

"I'm a coward because I can't tell you this while you're awake. It would be too risky. If you threw it back in my face… like my dear old child minder… it would kill me. It really would. You're sleeping and Sakura says that even though you're asleep, a part of you can still hear me.

"I l-l-lo…" Naruto took a deep breath and cursed. "Damn it!"

The only sound in the room was the beep… beep… beep of the heart monitor. Naruto watched the steady rise and fall of her chest; the proof of her breathing calmed him. He didn't say anything for a moment as he collected himself.

"I love you. I do. Even if… even if you find it's worthless… don't leave me, please."

He didn't expect her to answer.

"I love you, too."

He froze – then whipped his head around to stare at her face in shock. Her beautiful eyes were open.

"Hinata-chan? You're awake?"

Hinata sat up with some difficulty – and Naruto moved to help her, even though he wanted to run. He almost jerked away when her hands reached out to touch the tears on his face. Some time during his speech he'd started to cry and hadn't even realized it. She gently pulled him to her until their foreheads were touching.

"It's not worthless. It's the most precious thing in the world to me. I'll _never_ throw it away. I'll take good care of it. I promise."

She sealed that promise with a kiss.

* * *

Outside the hospital…

"Thank you, Sakura-san."

"No problem, Shino." Sakura shrugged. "Naruto is like my brother. I'd do anything to help him."

"So you think this will really help Naruto and Hinata?" asked Kiba.

"Yes. It is obvious from his actions that Naruto is deeply in love with Hinata. However, for some reason, he has a mental block that prevents him from expressing it. Though it is clear to us, Hinata still needs to hear it. If he thinks she is still asleep, he may have an easier time overcoming this block."

"I checked on Hinata earlier," Sakura added. "The meds keeping her under have all worn off – and she was sleeping naturally. The minute he talks to her, she'll start to wake up."

"That's just… sneaky." Kiba whistled in appreciation. "When did you get so devious, Shino?"

Shino simply smiled; his sunglasses glinted in the sun.

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

Much, much angst and drama in this one! Out of the ten moments, this was the longest, by far (and my favorite). Don't expect lengthy "chapters" for Ten Defining Moments. It was only meant to be a short oneshot that sort of exploded in my face.


	4. It took 10 minutes

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 minutes for Hinata to seduce Naruto.**

* * *

Hinata had been released from the hospital ten days ago. While she was still on the inactive ninja list, she was almost fully recovered. Next week, she would go back for a routine medical exam to see if she could return to active duty. For now, she was just enjoying her time off and spending every waking moment with Naruto.

_Naruto-kun loves me!_

It had been weeks since his first inadvertent confession, but the knowledge still made her want to sing and dance. Just knowing that he loved her gave her confidence a huge boost. For once, she was more confident than Naruto. She frowned. Since that day at the hospital, Naruto had told her he loved her at least half a dozen times. But each time he did, she could see the fear of abandonment lurking in his eyes. He still thought she might find his love worthless and throw it back in his face… like that _horrid_ woman from his childhood. If that lady hadn't already passed away from old age, Hinata would have cheerfully set her on fire.

_I promised to never leave him. But it's not enough. How can I make him believe me?_

A startling idea took root in her mind and refused to go away. Hinata blushed.

_I know it would work – but could I actually do it?_ She found herself pressing her fingers together and forced herself to stop. _Naruto-kun loves me! I can do this! I know I can!_

Hinata needed to hurry. If this was going to work, she needed to pick up a few things.

* * *

"Why don't you sit down and relax, Hinata-chan? I can clean up in the kitchen," Naruto offered. They had just finished eating dinner at Naruto's apartment. "I'll walk you home when I'm finished, okay?"

"Are you sure, Naruto-kun? I can help."

"No. It's only fair, right? You did all the cooking. So I'll clean up." Naruto pulled her in for a sweet kiss. "I love you, Hinata-chan."

Hinata could feel him tense up – as if bracing himself for an unpleasant impact – when he said those words. It made her sad. Hopefully, he would believe her after tonight.

"I love you, too."

Naruto sighed in relief and let himself relax. She still loved him!

"Yeah. Okay," he grinned. "I better get to work or we'll never get you home!"

Naruto hummed happily as he did the dishes and wiped down the table and countertops. When he was finished, he went looking for his girlfriend. She wasn't in the living room like he expected. This wasn't the first time they'd had dinner at his apartment. Usually after dinner, she would read one of his training scrolls in the living room while she waited for him to finish. He frowned, puzzled.

"Hinata-chan?"

"I'm in the bedroom."

Naruto made his way to the bedroom. Why was she in there?

"I'm finished in the kitchen, so we can go now. Were you looking for something in here, _Hinata-chan_?!"

Her name came out as a strangled squawk as he finally saw what his extremely _hot_ girlfriend was wearing. Hinata was wearing a sheer purple chemise with black lace trim and ribbon straps. The gown was so short that it barely covered her hips – accentuating her amazing legs – and it was so sheer – he could see what she _wasn't_ wearing… underneath. His higher thought processes ground to a screeching halt and he could only stare… and stare… until he finally understood exactly what he was staring at. He spun around so quickly he almost smacked himself on the doorframe.

Just because he wasn't looking at her anymore didn't make him forget what he had just seen. Naruto could feel the blood rushing to his face… and lower – making him extremely uncomfortable.

Hinata almost giggled. He _wanted_ her! That had been one of her fears: that even though he loved her, he might not find her attractive. But there was no mistaking the desire she saw in his eyes just now.

"Naruto-kun. Is something wrong?" she asked almost innocently. She was blushing madly herself, though Naruto with his back to her couldn't see it.

"N-n-no!" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her slip her arms around his waist. "What are you _doing_?!"

"Seducing you."

"What?!"

"Naruto-kun, I love you – and I want you. Is that so wrong?"

Naruto was almost hyperventilating by now. Even he – the number one knucklehead – couldn't mistake her intentions. His body and his heart were shouting at him to take what Hinata was so generously – obviously! – offering. But his head was shouting the exact opposite. He couldn't do this to her! If they went through with this… there would be no taking it back. They were only dating; they hadn't actually done anything _irrevocable_. She could still back out – though his heart clenched painfully at the thought. He took deep breaths to calm down.

"We shouldn't, Hinata-chan."

"Why not?" She rested her head between his shoulder blades and slipped her hands under his shirt to caress his abs. She could feel him tremble.

"There's no going back after this. There's no taking it back. You don't… You don't have to be stuck with the jinchuuriki. You can still leave – and find someone more _worthy_."

"I don't want to leave, Naruto-kun. I promised, didn't I?"

"Yes, but…"

"And there is _no one else_ who is more worthy than you."

Naruto didn't say anything; his silence spoke for him.

"I love you. Do you love me?"

"Yes!"

Hinata smiled pleased with his fierce and immediate response. She turned him around to face her – trailing kisses along his neck and jaw. She could feel his breathing become erratic.

"St-stop. Hinata-chan," Naruto protested half-heartedly – but he made no move to push her away.

"Please, Naruto-kun? I want this. I want you." She unbuttoned his shirt – kissing every inch of newly exposed skin as she went – then slipped it off his shoulders. Naruto stood stiffly – unresisting, but not helping either. Hinata took a moment to admire his physique. He was _gorgeous_.

"Make me yours, Naruto-kun," she whispered as she pulled his head down for a kiss.

Naruto remained unresponsive for a long moment, which almost made Hinata doubt her own desirability. Was she wrong? Did he not find her attractive after all? And then…

He kissed her back. Passionately. Fervently.

… Until all doubt (and every last thought) flew out of her mind.

Their first time was awkward for neither was experienced.

It was also _beautiful_.

Hinata did not go home that night.

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

Okay. Now _I_ want to blush. (_laughs_) This is my first, ever, implied sex scene. How did I do?

Before you say that Hinata's behavior is OOC... Yes, I guess she was a little bit OOC. But please remember that she and Naruto have been together for almost a year at this point. She had to get over her fainting some time! They've kissed a lot and probably made out, too. Now that Naruto's admitted he loves her, she's become confident enough to initiate the next step with him.

And before anyone asks… The answer is "No."

No. I'm not going to write a lemon. (_blushes_) This is my real name. My friends, my cousins, my siblings, and my _parents_ all look in on my Live Journal account every now and then. And eventually, when my kids learn to read, they might look at it, too. Thus, no lemons!

(_sighs_) I should have picked a _nom de plume_ when I first started writing fanfics all those years ago. Oh well…


	5. It took 10 seconds

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 seconds for Naruto to propose. **

* * *

Naruto thought his life was perfect.

Hinata had unofficially moved in with him. She still had her rooms at the Hyuuga estate, but she spent very little time in them. Most nights, she just stayed with him. He loved waking up with her in his arms. He loved returning home to her. He loved saying "Tadiama" whenever he got back and hearing her softly reply with "Okaerinasai." He loved _her_. Even more amazingly, she loved him back unconditionally. It was a dream come true – and he never wanted to wake up from this dream.

He couldn't believe how quickly the time had flown by. Just last month, they had celebrated Hinata's nineteenth birthday with their close friends. That meant that they had been together for over a full year. Where had the time gone? He couldn't begin to imagine how he'd ever gotten by without her. He wanted Hinata for forever. She had promised that she wouldn't leave him – and he believed her. But…

What if someone tried to take her away?

Naruto growled.

They'd have to kill him first.

His last mission had taken him to the capitol city of the Land of Fire. He had been hired to protect a noble from hired assassins because that noble had somehow managed to piss off quite a few people. It was a cut and dry mission. Once he had captured and interrogated the would-be assassin and determined who had hired the thug, his mission was over. He had been gone less than two weeks – and he had missed Hinata more than he'd ever thought possible. It was the longest he had gone without seeing her since they had become lovers.

The mission had been nothing special. It was what he had overheard in the capitol city that bothered him. As the personal bodyguard of a minor noble, he had followed his client to various social functions where other wealthy nobles and merchants played the politics game. At one of those parties, where the wine had flowed freely, he heard an older gentleman say the name "Hyuuga." Curious, he listened in – not that it had been difficult. The man was boasting loudly and not attempting to conceal his words.

Naruto had almost murdered him.

_Flashback_

"_You really think the Hyuuga are going to accept your offer?" asked a portly gentleman with silver hair combed over the top of his head in order to (poorly) conceal his balding crown. Naruto privately nicknamed him "Baldman."_

"_Of course! My offer was more than generous! They'd be foolish to turn it away," retorted a middle-aged man with a moustache who was wearing a tunic liberally embroidered with gold and silver thread in a gaudy display of wealth. Naruto privately nicknamed him "Showoff." (He wanted to nickname him "the idiot showing off with the gaudy outfit," but even in his head that name was too long.)_

_Baldman snorted in disbelief._

"_People have been wanting to marry that Hyuuga girl for years. The clan has turned down every offer so far. What makes you think that they'll accept yours?"_

_Showoff shrugged expansively and smiled knowingly._

"_It's all a matter of timing."_

"_Oh?"_

"_That Hyuuga girl just turned nineteen. The only reason she's still not married is because her father's got a soft spot for her. He's letting her decide. Ha! As if a little girl could know which husband would be the best for her!"_

"_Everyone knows __**that**__." Baldman did not look impressed._

"_Ah! But here's something you __**don't**__ know." A smug grin appeared on Showoff's face. "A little bird told __**me**__ that the Hyuuga clan elders are getting impatient. Now that she's nineteen, they're going to push the issue. So I've made sure that __**my**__ offer is going to arrive right when she's __**forced**__ to choose."_

"_Not bad," Baldman looked mildly impressed this time. "You might get lucky after all! That Hyuuga girl will make a fine wife."_

"_The Hyuuga will get my money – and I'll get the political backing of the Hyuuga clan. Everyone wins." He laughed. "Do you know what the best part is?"_

"_What?"_

"_I actually saw her once in passing. She's a pretty young thing. I'd marry her even if she were a troll, but I think I'm going to __**enjoy**__ being married to the Hyuuga heiress!"_

_Naruto stiffened as he finally figured out that they were talking about Hinata! __**His**__ Hinata! He should have caught on earlier. Except the idea of Hinata being forced to marry someone else was so alien and sickening that he hadn't wanted to even __**think**__ it. He saw red and couldn't contain his killing intent. That bastard was talking about his Hinata like a piece of meat! That bastard wanted to touch his Hinata in places only Naruto was allowed to touch!_

_I'm going to fucking kill him. Nobody is marrying Hinata… except __**me**__!_

_/Flashback_

Showoff had come within a hairsbreadth of meeting the Shinigami in person that night, courtesy of Naruto. Luckily for Showoff, that last thought shocked him out of his rage.

Him? Marry Hinata? Did he want that?

_Yes! Yes! Yes!_

He didn't know why he didn't think of it before. Marrying her would prevent anyone else from marrying her. If he married her, then no one could take her away from him. More importantly, he loved Hinata more than his _life_. He wanted Hinata for forever. If he married her, it would make what they had permanent and official. And he wanted that very badly.

He was almost positive that Hinata wanted the same thing, too. But…

_What if I'm wrong? What if she doesn't want to marry me? What if it's too soon for her?_

"Tadaima," he called out as he entered _their_ apartment.

"Okaerinasai, Naruto-kun." Hinata met him in the foyer and gave him long kiss. "Mmm… I missed you."

That made him smile. "You saw me just this morning, Hinata-chan."

"I still missed you."

"Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? I made reservations for us at the Shoki Restaurant."

"Really?" Hinata was surprised.

The Shoki Restaurant was one of the most exclusive restaurants in Konoha. She knew from personal experience that their cuisine was excellent and that their service was unmatched. She had joined her father for business dinners there in the past. Why did Naruto want to go there, of all places? He wasn't the type of guy that enjoyed fancy restaurants; he much preferred the casual atmosphere of Ichiraku Ramen to the formal, elegant atmosphere of a place like the Shoki Restaurant.

"Yes."

"Why?" she asked curiously. "Is there some sort of special occasion that I forgot?"

"Oh… um… I just thought… we've never been there before and you might like to try it out?" Naruto cringed at the lame excuse. Why hadn't he thought this through a little better?

"I've been there before, Naruto-kun." Hinata eyed her lover carefully. Why was he so nervous? "What's wrong?"

"Nothing! _Nothing_!" His voice cracked on the last word. Naruto cursed inwardly.

Hinata raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

Naruto gulped. This wasn't going the way he'd planned at all! He was supposed take her to a nice restaurant for a romantic dinner, then for a moonlight stroll through the park, and then ask her to marry him at the park bench where she'd first confessed her love to him. He didn't know much about romance. But it _sounded_ romantic to him!

Only now, he realized he would never be able to get through a long dinner or a stroll through the park. He'd never last that long! The waiting and the anticipation would kill him first. He couldn't go another _minute_ without knowing.

"I just w-w-wanted to ask you a question."

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" Now Hinata was really worried. Naruto – her brave unflappable Naruto – was stuttering!

Naruto fumbled for something in his pocket; his normal ninja-enhanced coordination was absent. It was a jewelry box. More specifically, it was a _ring_ box. Naruto fumbled a little bit more and finally got it open.

It was a ring box with an engagement ring inside.

Hinata gasped and her eyes blurred with tears.

"Marry me, Hinata-chan. Please?"


	6. It took 1 10th of a second

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 1/10th of a second for Hinata to say yes.**

* * *

"Yes!"

Hinata threw herself into his arms – knocking him back against the front door – laughing and crying happy tears. She showered him with kisses.

Naruto and Hinata didn't make it to the Shoki Restaurant, after all. (Their reservation was given to another couple on the waiting list when they didn't show up at the appointed time.) Instead, they stayed home and celebrated in the privacy of their bedroom.

_This was much better than going out to a fancy restaurant._ Naruto thought sleepily hours later. He lazily stroked his lover's bare back. Hinata was already asleep, but still sighed with pleasure and leaned into his touch.

_Much better._

Naruto fell asleep dreaming of a future with Hinata.

* * *

**_Author's Notes_**:

(1) The Japanese have phrases/expressions that they use to greet family members when they leave or return home. _Tadaima_ means "I'm back (home)." _Okaerinasai_ means "Welcome home."

(2) The Shoki Restaurant _was_ a real restaurant – and one of my favorites. It was excellent. Unfortunately, the owners of Shoki had a baby and decided that managing a full menu Japanese bar, grill, and restaurant on top of a new baby was too much work. So they sold it. I was very, very sad. Eventually, the owners got back into the restaurant business, but they decided that a full menu Japanese bar, grill, and restaurant would still be too much work. They revamped their menu and decided to specialize in – get this – _authentic Japanese ramen_. I kid you not. They opened a tiny hole in the wall restaurant in Sacramento, CA called _Shoki Ramen House_. If any of you live (or visit) the Sacramento area, I recommend that you check it out. Just do a Google search for _Shoki Ramen House of Sacramento_. I've been there before and their ramen is very good.


	7. It took 10 hours

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 hours for Naruto to gain her father's blessing to marry Hinata.**

* * *

(Actually, it would have taken less time if Hiashi had not caught them in a compromising position. Naruto spent nine of those hours trying to convince Hiashi _not_ to kill him…)

Hyuuga Hiashi was not blind.

Obviously.

He was the clan leader of a clan that was famous for its all-seeing eyes.

He knew that his daughter was in love with the jinchuuriki of the Kyubi no Youko. He knew she was dating Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't exactly disapprove. The boy was a strong ninja who had gained his nephew's friendship and respect, which was no easy feat. Hinata could have done a lot worse. But he didn't exactly approve, either. The boy just wasn't _good enough_ for his daughter. Though honesty compelled him to admit that he would probably _never_ find a male anywhere in the world that was good enough to date his daughter. He blamed his overprotective paternal instincts. At least, he finally _had_ paternal instincts!

He had made many mistakes in raising his daughters. He could see that now. He was trying to be a better father – and he thought he was succeeding… somewhat. His relationship with both his daughters was _much_ better than it had been in the past. He was also doing his best to protect Hinata from an arranged marriage that would break her heart. But the elders of the clan were pushing for a final decision on Hinata's choice of husband.

Hiashi sighed. Young people just didn't have the same regard for the rules of courtship that they did back in the old days. Uzumaki Naruto _should_ have come to ask his permission before dating his daughter. He did not. But then again, neither did Neji ask for his permission before he started to court his teammate, Tenten.

_Young people. Hmph! No respect at all._

To his credit, the boy seemed to care for Hinata almost as much as she cared for him.

Well, if the boy would not come to him, then he would just have to go to the boy. It was time for him to find out exactly what Naruto's _intentions_ were towards his daughter. Maybe then he could get the clan elders to _shut up_ about arranging a marriage for Hinata.

* * *

A short while later…

Hiashi was standing before a respectable apartment in a middle-class neighborhood. It had been easy enough for a man of his status to pull in a few favors and obtain copies of all the records for Uzumaki Naruto. The long list of successfully completed high ranked missions impressed even him. The boy would have no trouble providing for his daughter financially. But he already knew that the boy was a very good ninja. He wanted to find out if the boy would make a good husband. Hiashi knocked sharply on the door.

No one answered.

Hiashi sighed in frustration. He didn't have much time. He was an extremely busy man. He wasn't about to search the entire village for the boy. If Naruto were not home, then he would have to summon him to the Hyuuga manor sometime soon so that they could talk. Hiashi hesitated before he turned to go. He could use his Byakugan to check if the boy was home. As an unwritten rule, the Byakugan was not to be used frivolously to look into other people's homes. The Hyuuga maintained a strict code of ethics that forbid them from infringing on the privacy of their neighbors and fellow citizens.

However, this concerned his daughter. The boy was likely not home anyways. What harm would it do to look in on an empty apartment? The veins around his eyes bulged as his Byakugan activated.

The apartment wasn't empty. And the boy wasn't alone. His daughter slept beside the boy with their limbs entwined in bed – and _neither of them wore any clothes_! He did not need to be a genius to know what they had been doing right before falling asleep.

_I'm going to kill him!_

The front door splintered under the force of his Jyuken.

Hiash stormed through the small apartment and slammed the door of the bedroom open – rudely waking both occupants. Hours later, when he would calm down enough to think rationally, Hiashi would be pleased to remember that even half awake and caught unawares, the boy had automatically armed himself with a kunai from under his pillow and placed himself protectively in front of his daughter, putting himself between her and the perceived threat. But right now, he was just _furious_.

"F-Father!" Hinata gasped in horror. She sat up quickly pulling the sheets up to cover herself.

Naruto tensed even more. He would have much preferred to face an enemy ninja rather than the father of his fiancé.

_Hinata's dad? Shit. I'm so dead._

"Father! I can explain!"

"You may explain later. Get dressed and go home. That is an order!" Hiashi said frostily. Then he turned his gaze to Naruto. "You. Get dressed. Training ground 44 in ten minutes. Don't be late or I will hunt you down and make you regret the day you were born. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Naruto gulped.

"Father! Wait!"

"Hinata. You will go home. And. You. Will. Not. Interfere."

Hiashi turned and stormed out.

"Hinata-chan? I love you." Naruto kissed her hard. Then he moved to do as he was told and get dressed. "I just wanted to tell you that one last time, before your father kills me."

* * *

Ten minutes later…

Naruto arrived at training ground 44, also known as the Forest of Death. Hiashi was already waiting for him.

"Hiashi-sama. Please let me explain," Naruto pleaded. He didn't want to fight Hinata's father! She'd never forgive him if he hurt her father, but he didn't want to die either.

"I don't want to hear it," Hiashi's voice could put glaciers to shame. He charged. "Prepare to defend yourself."

Nine hours later…

Naruto collapsed at the base of a giant tree. He was battered and spent. He sported numerous injuries and at least two cracked ribs. Even his enormous chakra reserves were almost gone. He had been at a disadvantage for the entire fight because he wasn't aiming to maim or kill. He had been only fighting to defend himself and hopefully subdue his opponent safely. And he had not gone all out – which meant no Odama Rasengan and no Fuuton: Rasen Shuriken, either. Nor did he call on the red chakra.

Hiashi was not his enemy.

Hiashi was in much better shape. Though his clothes were dirty, rumpled, and torn – and he was sweating and panting hard, he was still standing. Hiashi had not held back, at all. He had attacked with full intent to cause permanent – fatal – injuries. For an older man, Hiashi was _strong_. He had gone toe-to-toe with Naruto (and all his Kage Bushin) and had only required _one_ soldier pill about five hours into their fight.

Hiashi put a knee to Naruto's chest holding him down (not that Naruto had the energy to get up anyways) and a glowing hand infused with chakra to his temple. He spoke for the first time in nine hours.

"Now. I am going to give you _ten_ seconds to explain to me why I should not kill you. Start talking."

Naruto gasped for breath.

"I love Hinata-chan."

"Continue," Hiashi looked _slightly_ less angry.

"I asked her to marry me."

"Did you? When?" Hiashi was definitely looking less angry.

"Last night."

Naruto sighed with relief when the hand that was poised to end his life stopped glowing. He allowed himself to relax a little bit more when Hiashi got off him and took a step away. Hiashi glared at the young man lying at his feet.

"Well. Why didn't you say so earlier? We just wasted nine hours in the Forest of Death."

Naruto shot him an incredulous look from his horizontal position on the ground. _Because you wouldn't listen! And you wouldn't let me talk, either, you bastard!_ Though he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Get up and follow me."

"Where are we going?" asked Naruto as he struggled to get to his feet.

"We are going back to the Hyuuga estate. I have been saving a bottle of sake for just such an occasion, Son-in-law."

Naruto blinked. He must have been hit in the head one too many times. Did Hinata's father just call him _son-in-law_? Did that mean what he _thought_ it meant? His eyes lit up with hope and a silly grin graced his lips. Maybe fighting Hiashi had been a good thing.

A sudden spike of pain from his cracked ribs disagreed with him.

_Then again… maybe not._

* * *

One hour and ten bottles of sake later…

"You are a fine young man, Naruto," Hiashi slurred. He was just a _little_ bit tipsy. "I approve! Call me _Dad_."

Then he fell over and passed out on the table.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yeah. Hiashi was a bit OOC. (_laughs_) But I couldn't resist the idea of an overprotective Hiashi trying to castrate Naruto for touching his daughter. (_snickers_) Poor Naruto. I got a good laugh out of writing this one. I hope you did, too. Enjoy!


	8. It took 10 weeks and 10 simple rules

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 weeks to plan the wedding… In the meantime, Hiashi made Naruto follow 10 simple rules.**

* * *

The next day…

Although Hiashi woke feeling like an Akimichi was rolling around in his head with their Baika no Jutsu, he recalled the events of the day before with perfect clarity. After downing almost ten cups of strong green tea, he was ready to face the day. For his first order of business, he summoned his daughter and future son-in-law to lay down a few ground rules.

* * *

Hinata was a nervous wreck. She had not slept well. What happened yesterday between her father and her lover? She didn't know. And not knowing was killing her.

When her father had discovered her in bed with Naruto, Hinata was horrified and terribly embarrassed. She was also very, very afraid. She had never seen her father so furious – not even as a child when it seemed all she did was disappoint him! Why was her father in Naruto's apartment? What was he doing there? When he ordered her to go home and not interfere, Hinata only obeyed because she knew without a doubt that she would only make things worse for Naruto if she didn't.

She had waited anxiously for hours. But her father never came home – and never summoned her to his office to hear her explanation. (She still didn't know what she was going to say!) Finally, she had retired to her rooms. Her dreams were plagued with nightmares.

A knock on the door made her heart pound fearfully. It was a summons to see her father at last.

* * *

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata rushed to his side and looked him over. He was a bit scuffed up with a few visible scrapes and bruises and he seemed to be favoring one side – but otherwise, he appeared to be in good health. She sighed with relief. "Thank goodness you're okay."

"I'm fine, Hinata-chan." Naruto pulled her into his embrace. "I'm sorry I made you worry."

"Ahem."

"Father!" Hinata jumped. She had been so focused on Naruto that she hadn't even noticed her father in the room.

"Naruto tells me that he asked you to marry him. Is that true?"

"Yes." With Naruto by her side, Hinata could face the Shinigami himself without flinching. She did not quail under her father's piercing stare. Her voice was clear and strong.

"You accepted his proposal?"

"Yes."

"I see." Hiashi frowned with disapproval. "And what – exactly – will this alliance bring to the clan? Money? Influence? I will not allow this marriage to happen if it will not benefit the clan."

Hinata bristled at the implied insult to Naruto's worth. How could her father say such things about Naruto? He was worth so much more than anyone knew. She immediately rose to his defense and spoke without thinking.

"Perhaps Naruto-kun will not bring money. But some things are much more valuable than that. He is a strong, brave ninja who always puts the welfare of his precious people before himself. And he has the power to change people. He changed Neji. He changed me. He can change this clan for the better, too. One day, I know he will be the Hokage. This 'alliance' will give the Hyuuga direct ties to the leader of Konoha.

"My marriage to Naruto-kun would bring nothing but benefit to the clan. But even if it did not, I would still marry him because I love him – and I know that he will make me happy."

Hinata finally paused for breath.

Naruto was smiling at her. And her father… Was he smiling, too? He was! It was just a miniscule upward turn at the corner of his mouth – but it warmed his entire face.

"Future Hokage? Well, I suppose you could have done worse, my daughter," Hiashi smiled with approval. "You have my blessing."

"Father?" Hinata could hardly believe what she was hearing. Happiness like she'd never felt before infused her entire being.

"However, from now until the wedding, Hinata will be sleeping in her own room. Alone." Hiashi gave Naruto a look that promised great pain if he were crossed. Naruto went white. "If I even _think_ you have touched her inappropriately, we will revisit training ground 44. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Because they had already slept together, her father insisted on a short engagement. Neither Naruto nor Hinata minded. They just wanted to get married. So announcements went out to all their friends and acquaintances, followed shortly by invitations to a spring wedding. All of their friends had been very happy for them – especially the girls. It is a universal rule of life that nothing gets a woman more animated and ecstatic than weddings and babies – unless you're Mitarashi Anko. In Anko's world, weddings were only good for the food and the booze that accompanied them and babies were not good for much of anything really; they just screamed a lot. (She wondered absently if a screaming baby could be used as a method of torture and interrogation. They were certainly irritating enough on the nerves – and caused sleep deprivation naturally.)

There had been a tense moment when they had informed Neji. At Neji's unreadable expression, Naruto wondered warily if he should just head over to training ground 44 and get his second beating over with. Neji let him squirm for a minute before he smiled and welcomed Naruto to the family. He was truly happy for them.

However, there was one group of people who had not been happy for them at all.

The clan elders had been outraged when they found out just whom Hinata had been promised to. Uzumaki Naruto! A nobody! That the Hyuuga were far wealthier than most clans did not make them exempt from greed. Several of the elders had quietly agreed to allocate a portion of Hinata's bride price for their own personal use. Her marriage to Uzumaki Naruto would gain them nothing! They tried to dissuade Hiashi, but Hiashi remained firm. Hinata was _his_ daughter – not theirs. Though they could advise him, he had the final word. He could have her married off to a beggar – and they wouldn't be able to stop him. Still… In order to maintain a semblance of harmony within the clan – and to prevent them from trying to sabotage the wedding – Hiashi made a few pointed reminders.

Naruto was a favorite of the Fifth Hokage. Though the Godaime had yet to name an official successor, most ninja already considered him the Godaime's unofficial successor. Among the ninja of his generation, Naruto stood out – and not because he was dead last. Naruto had strength, speed, and an immense breadth and depth of knowledge in all the ninja arts. And he had the charisma of a natural leader. Ninja twice his age and with twice his experience were willing to follow him in to battle because Naruto had _heart_. He loved Konoha and would never forsake it. He treated all his subordinates like friends and comrades – never like tools to be used and thrown away. He had been trained by both Jiraya (teacher of the Yondaime) and Hatake Kakashi (student of the Yondaime). He was close friends with the next generation of clan heirs, including the younger Ino-Shika-Cho team, the Aburame heir, and the younger brother of the Inuzuka heir. When the time came, they would no doubt support Naruto and convince their clans to do the same.

It was common knowledge that the elder Nara, Nara Shikaku who was a genius and formidable strategist, had placed his bets on Uzumaki Naruto to become the next Hokage. (Why you ask? Because his son believed that Naruto would become the next Hokage – and he had faith in his son. In this, Shikamaru had a 99.999 percent probability of being right. So stop asking stupid questions… Geez! So troublesome! Go bother someone else.) It was also common knowledge that Morino Ibiki – one of the shrewdest ninja in the village – had his eye on Naruto for _years_, ever since Naruto had managed to impress him at the age of twelve. Ibiki was known for his insight and perception – or he wouldn't have been the head of Torture and Interrogation. Ibiki thought Naruto was an "interesting guy." Coming from Ibiki, that was a glowing compliment indeed.

Naruto stood out like the sun.

In a few years, when the Godaime stepped down, he was the most likely candidate for the Sixth Hokage.

That little reminder effectively silenced their screams of outrage and gave the elders something to think about. Though still displeased by Hinata's choice of fiancé, no one could deny the benefits of having a Hokage connected to the clan by marriage.

However, Naruto was not Hokage _yet_ – and Hokage-candidate or not, the elders simply would _not_ accept the jinchuuriki as a possible clan leader. The Hyuuga rules of succession were clear. _If_ Hinata became the clan head and _if_ she died prematurely – a ninja's life was never certain – then her spouse would assume the mantel of the Hyuuga clan leader. As Naruto was not a Hyuuga, his leadership would only be temporary until a new leader could be appointed. Just the _possibility_ that the jinchuuriki might become the Hyuuga clan head (however temporary) was enough to incite a riot among them. If Hinata was determined to marry Naruto, then either the Hyuuga laws of succession needed to change… or Hinata needed to renounce her position as the heiress.

The elders could not choose Hinata's husband, but with a majority vote, they could choose the next clan heir.

* * *

Hiashi resisted the urge to rub his temples. He knew that would do nothing for his migrane. Instead, he calmly sipped at his green tea and closed his eyes. He sat by the koi pond in his private garden and tried to absorb some of its natural serenity into himself. The cool breeze was soothing to his senses. He heard soft footsteps approaching.

"Father? You asked to see me?"

"Sit with me for a bit, Hinata."

Hiashi opened his eyes to look at his daughter. Hinata sat gracefully beside him. She took after her mother with her delicate looks and dark silky hair. Perhaps he was biased, but he truly believed that his eldest daughter was the most beautiful and accomplished kunoichi in Konoha. It wasn't fair that she should be forced to choose. He wished he could have done more for her.

"I spoke with the council yesterday."

Hinata froze, but did not react beyond a slight twitch of her hands. (Hiashi smiled, pleased that she had managed to overcome her old nervous habits.) There was no need to ask what they had talked about.

"What did they say?"

"They do not want Uzumaki Naruto to become a Hyuuga."

Hinata's face fell in dismay. For the first time in years, Hiashi took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He was rewarded by a tremulous smile.

"On the selection of your husband, mine is the only vote that matters. And I have already given you and Naruto my blessing."

"Thank you, Father."

"Don't thank me, Hinata." Hiashi shook his head sadly. "You have the clan's permission to marry Naruto, but now you have a choice to make. I am only sorry I could not do more for you, my daughter. Tell me. If you had to choose between staying with the clan or staying with Naruto, which would you choose?"

Hinata didn't hesitate.

"I choose Naruto."

* * *

10 days before the wedding…

Hinata was exhausted. She had wanted a small wedding with just close friends and family. But as the Hyuuga ex-heiress, the wedding was automatically a political affair – a chance for the clan to invite nobles and influential politicians, to show off their wealth, and to make new alliances. Even though her father had retained the services of a wedding planner, there were still many decisions that required her input and many appointments that required her presence. Between that, missions, training with her team, and not being able to spend time at Naruto's apartment (it was strictly off limits – one of her father's ground rules) she had hardly seen Naruto at all in the last two months since the proposal. When she _did_ get to see him, it was never alone. She ached to be alone with him for just ten minutes. The wedding couldn't come fast enough.

Hinata entered her bedroom intending to collapse on her bed and sleep. All thoughts of sleep vanished the instant she saw the person waiting inside for her.

"Naruto-kun! What are you doing here?"

Hinata threw her arms around his neck and eagerly kissed him before he could answer.

"I missed you, Hinata-chan. I take it you missed me, too." Naruto winked down at her making her blush.

"Y-Yes."

"I got back early from my last mission. Tsunade-baa-chan's not expecting me back until at least tomorrow morning." Naruto eyed her bed wistfully. "As much as I want to stay here and have my way with you, it's probably not a good idea. Your father really _will_ murder me next time."

"You're right," she sighed regretfully.

"Come on. Let's go take a walk. It's a beautiful night."

* * *

10 days later…

Tsunade smiled happily at the young couple standing before her. When she found out about Naruto's upcoming nuptials, she had insisted on officiating the marriage ceremony in her capacity as Hokage. Though the Hokage could perform legal marriage ceremonies under Konoha law, he (or she) usually had so many duties and responsibilities that it was rare for him (or her) to do so. But in this case, Tsunade was more than happy to take on the extra responsibility. In fact, she had threatened the groom with a lifetime of D-ranked missions if he even _thought_ of asking _anyone else_ to perform the ceremony.

"Do you, Uzumaki Naruto, take this woman as your partner in marriage and in life? Will you love, respect, and comfort her in sickness and in health, during times of peace and times of war, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Do you, Hyuuga Hinata, take this man as your partner in marriage and in life? Will you love, respect, and comfort him in sickness and in health, during times of peace and times of war, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"You may kiss the bride."

Of all the kisses they had shared before, _this_ was the best kiss of all.

* * *

**Omake: 10 Simple Rules**

* * *

The next day…

Although Hiashi woke feeling like an Akimichi was rolling around in his head with their Baika no Jutsu, he recalled the events of the day before with perfect clarity. After downing almost ten cups of strong green tea, he was ready to face the day. For his first order of business, he summoned his daughter and future son-in-law to lay down a few ground rules.

* * *

Naruto stepped nervously into Hiashi's study. After all, Hinata's father had been absolutely furious the day before. Although he had seemed to approve of their relationship the last night, Naruto was uncertain how much of that approval had been genuine and how much had been influenced by the alcohol. Hiashi was sitting at his desk writing – the tip of his brush practically flying across the parchment before him. He didn't look up from his work when he heard Naruto enter.

"Sit please. I'll be with you in a moment."

Naruto sat – and tried very hard not to fidget. Finally, after several long minutes, the brush stilled and Hiashi looked at him.

"Now, I understand that you are dating my daughter."

"Yes, sir. I am, but I'm not just dating her. I want to marry her."

"We'll get to that in a moment," Hiashi waved his hand dismissively. "If you would like to continue seeing my daughter, then you will have to abide by my rules. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Hiashi handed Naruto the parchment he had just been working on.

"What's this?"

"Those are my rules. Read them. Memorize them."

Naruto read the rules – with each successive rule, his apprehension mounted. He reached the tenth rule and gulped. Then he looked up at the intimidating visage of his future father-in-law. Hiashi _scared_ him more than the Kyubi and the Akatsuki… _combined_.

"Obviously, you have already violated several of my rules – specifically, rules two and four." Hiashi said in a chilling voice as he activated his Byakugan soundlessly and without using any seals. Now he was downright _terrifying_.

Naruto eep'ed.

"I would be well within my rights to kill you or remove a few body parts for breaking those rules. However, that would upset Hinata. So I'm generously going to overlook your past transgressions – as long as you follow my rules _to the letter_ from now until the day you marry my daughter. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, sir!" Naruto nodded frantically.

"Good." Hiashi smiled and released his Byakugan. "Feel free to keep that copy for yourself. Hinata is almost here. _Don't forget my rules._"

"I won't!"

The next moment, Hinata arrived at her father's study.

"Naruto-kun!"

* * *

Ten Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter by Hyuuga Hiashi

**Rule One**: If you come up to gates of the Hyuuga estate and announce your presence you'd better be delivering an important message from the Hokage, because you're sure not picking anything up.

**Rule Two**: You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

**Rule Three**: I am aware that it is considered practical for boys of your age to remove their shirts when they have been training for hours on end. Presumably, this is to ensure that you do not overheat while you are training outdoors. Please don't take this as an insult but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. We _do_ have air conditioned dojos and indoor training halls for a reason. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may remove your shirts and tops whenever and wherever you want, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your _pants_ do not, accidentally, come off during any time spent with my daughter, I will take my senbon and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

**Rule Four**: I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex with the wrong kunoichi can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, my daughter is that kunoichi, and I _will_ kill you.

**Rule Five**: It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about recent missions, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

**Rule Six**: I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make _you_ cry.

**Rule Seven**: As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than sculpting the Hokage Monument. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like sweeping my floors?

**Rule Eight**: The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, ninja patrols, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies which feature chainsaws are okay. Chunin exam tournaments are okay. Morino Ibiki's interrogation chambers are better. (Speaking of which, Ibiki owes me a favor. Would you like me to make an appointment for you? It's no trouble.)

**Rule Nine**: Do not lie to me. I am a master of the Byakugan – that makes me a living lie detector. I can see every involuntary twitch, every breath, and each bead of sweat on your face. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have an army of elite Byakugan users at my beck and call. Do not trifle with me.

**Rule Ten**: Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your steps coming up to my front gate for an enemy Cloud ninja sent here to steal the secrets of the Byakugan. You remember what happened to the last Cloud ninja who crossed me, don't you? Incidentally, I will be cleaning and polishing the family katana as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you set one foot on my property you should submit yourself to a full body search by my guards, remove all hidden weapons from your person, and keep both hands in plain sight. Announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then leave - there is no need for you to come inside. You may not see me, but rest assured. _I_ see _you_.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) Sorry for the delay! I have excuses, but I'm sure you don't want to hear them.

(2) Gah! I had so much trouble with this moment! I kept writing and re-writing the wedding scene. In fact, I had a lot of things planned, like a bachelor's party, a confrontation between Tsunade and Hiashi over the seating arrangements, and a Rock Lee sake accident. In the end, this one moment was turning into a crazy story along the lines of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" – which was so _not_ the point at all! So I started cutting scenes. I'm _much_ happier with this abbreviated version.

(3) **About the Omake:** The original "Rules" were written by W. Bruce Cameron. Copyright 1998 W. Bruce Cameron http: / / www (dot) wbrucecameron (dot) com – I have simply modified them to make them fit Hiashi's role as the father. Rules two and six are unedited from the original rules.


	9. It took 10 not so subtle signs

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 not-so-subtle signs for Naruto to realize that his wife was pregnant.

* * *

**

Granted, this wasn't _entirely_ his fault. After all, considering how badly the villagers had hated him as a child, he'd never had any exposure to babies... or expecting mothers. He'd been the town leper. Parents would see him coming and quickly herd their children away from him. And pregnant women avoided him even more than the general populace – which was a lot to begin with – fearing that his very proximity might taint their unborn children. He'd never even _seen_ a pregnant woman up close until Kurenai-sensei. Was it any wonder he'd thought that her rounded tummy was a product of eating too much barbeque?

Naruto was far from ignorant, of course. With Jiraya, the self-proclaimed "super pervert", as his sensei, he understood that sex led to babies. (Jiraya made _sure_ that his apprentice was well educated in the fine art of procreation!) He also understood the basic process of pregnancy and how it worked – from conception to labor and delivery. However, Jiraya was always more enthusiastic about the _before_ conception part of his sex education than the _after_ conception part – and Naruto was always more enthusiastic about the _ninja_ part of his education than Biology 101 – which meant that other than some rudimentary knowledge, Naruto had no clue what to expect from a pregnant woman.

So when Hinata started showing symptoms about 10 months into their marriage, Naruto managed to miss them _all_. It helped that he was naturally oblivious...

* * *

**Signs 1 and 2: Mood swings and cravings**

"You want a deep fried banana?"

"Yes."

"Now?!"

"Yes!"

Naruto rubbed his eyes and lifted his head just enough to glance over at the bedside clock: 2:37 A.M. He groaned and flopped back down on the bed. "It's the middle of the night. Can I get you a deep fried banana in the morning?"

Hinata burst into tears.

**

* * *

Signs 3 and 4: Fatigue and morning sickness**

Naruto carefully held Hinata's hair away from her face and rubbed her back as she retched over the toilet. She continued to heave miserably for another minute, even after she'd thoroughly rejected that morning's breakfast. He watched helplessly as she gagged and struggled to breathe. When it was over, he carried her back to bed and quickly returned for a warm, wet washcloth. He barely noticed the sour smell of partially digested food that lingered in the bathroom.

_This is all my fault..._

In the last week, he'd gradually noticed Hinata never had enough energy to get through the day anymore. She tired easily... _too_ easily, even though none of her daily activities had changed. When he'd expressed his concern, she'd told him not to worry and that she was sure it was nothing a good night's rest wouldn't cure. She started going to bed earlier each evening, but it wasn't helping. She was _still_ exhausted by late afternoon. Finally, he'd suggested that she see Sakura for an informal checkup, but Hinata had _insisted_ that she felt fine and that there was no need to waste Sakura's time over something so trivial. So he'd let it go.

That was a mistake.

… _I should've __**made**__ her go see Sakura! But I didn't... and now she's really sick!_

He sat on the side of the bed and gently cleaned her face. Hinata had her eyes closed, but she was breathing easily and a hint of color was returning to her cheeks – both signs that she was recovering. He sighed with relief.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

"Why are you sorry?"

"For making you worry... I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he smiled reassuringly at her. "As soon as you're feeling a little better, I'm taking you to see Sakura."

"But-"

"No, buts! You're going to see Sakura or another qualified medic-nin. Maybe a little fatigue isn't a big deal, but puking your guts out first thing in the morning _is_. This isn't normal, Hinata-chan!" His blue eyes flashed, daring her to challenge him on this.

Hinata smiled faintly, recognizing the stubborn expression on his face.

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Naruto-kun." She was incredibly touched by his obvious concern – and the way it made him drop _everything_, including his missions, to take care of her. She shook her head and eyed the full travel pack sitting by the door. "I'll go to the hospital today, but... you won't be able to take me. You'd better hurry or you'll be late meeting Lord Yuu and his entourage at the North Gate."

Naruto followed her line of sight and almost cursed. Hinata was right. He'd been about to leave for his next mission and was in the middle of kissing his wife goodbye, when she'd suddenly pulled away and rushed to the bathroom. If he didn't leave in the next ten minutes, he risked insulting an important client. He ran his hand through his blond hair in agitation. He didn't want to go – especially not while Hinata was sick!

Hinata seemed to read his mind.

"Go. I'm fine. This is a high-profile mission – and Lord Yuu requested you specifically to head his security detail."

"No. I'll get Tsuande-baachan to send someone else. She'll understand."

"You don't have to do that, Naruto-kun! See?" Hinata pushed herself up to a sitting position and smiled brightly at him. "I'm feeling better already. Go."

"What if it's something serious?" he argued. "I'm not leaving until I know that you'll be okay."

"It was probably something I ate. I feel _fine_," she stressed. "In fact, it's perfectly natural for some women to feel a little bit nauseous every now and then..."

… _especially if they happen to be pregnant._ Hinata thought ruefully.

She couldn't be certain, but she had a sneaking suspicion that... _maybe_ she was... pregnant? All of her recent symptoms matched the classic symptoms of pregnancy. She wanted very badly to share her thoughts with Naruto, but decided to wait. _I could be wrong. It could be something else entirely. I'll wait until I've seen a doctor._

"It is?" Naruto asked skeptically. He'd never heard of anything like _that_ before! Then again, women were mysterious creatures. Even after almost one year of marriage, he still didn't understand them! (He was starting to think that he never would.)

"Yes. It's perfectly natural."

"But-"

"Just trust me on this. _Please_, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded reluctantly.

**

* * *

Sign 5: Congratulations from good friends**

"... and that's when Lord Yuu dismissed us and asked that I deliver this scroll to you."

Naruto stepped forward and placed a small scroll on Tsunade's desk. She opened it with a flick of her wrist and quickly scanned the contents.

"Well done, Naruto," she said nodding with approval. "Lord Yuu was very pleased with your work and says that he plans to hire more teams from Konoha in the future. Was that all?"

"Yeah."

Naruto did his best to stay focused during the debriefing, but despite himself, his eyes flickered to the door _again_. He hoped that Tsunade hadn't noticed his preoccupation, but judging by the knowing smirk on her face, she _had_ noticed.

"Is there someplace you need to be?" she asked blandly. "Or maybe... some_one_ you need to see?"

"Not really..." Naruto flushed and tried not to squirm. He hadn't seen Hinata in _weeks_ – not since she'd persuaded him to go on his mission. He missed his wife – and he was still worried about her health.

"Okay. We're done here. Go home and take a few days off. You've earned it."

"Thanks, Baachan."

He took off like a shot, more than happy to follow orders for once. On his way out of the Hokage tower, he ran into Sakura, Sai, and Lee – who were just leaving the jonin lounge on the ground floor.

"Hi, Naruto! When did you get back?" Sakura asked.

"I got back less than an hour ago. I was just on my way home."

"Oh. So you haven't seen Hinata, yet?" Sakura sounded almost... disappointed? Naruto looked at her curiously.

"No. Not yet."

"Congratulations, my friend!" Lee burst out; he slapped Naruto on the back and shook his hand vigorously, making Naruto grunt in surprise and pain; sometimes Lee forgot his own strength. "I am so happy for you! This is such a joyous occasion! We must celebrate!"

"Uh... yeah... Thanks, Lee," he said while carefully extricating his hand from Lee's crushing grip. His friend was so happy that he had tears streaming from his eyes. Naruto furrowed his brow in confusion. "I'm sorry. Congratulations for what?"

"Why for your- Oomph!"

"Shut up, Lee!" hissed Sakura, elbowing him in the gut with her monstrous strength. Then she chuckled nervously at Naruto. "Don't mind him. You know how excitable Lee gets. I think he had one too many shots of espresso this morning."

Naruto shrugged and decided not to ask. Lee was always a little bit odd. This level of enthusiasm was practically normal for him. However, what happened next was downright bizarre. Sai circled Naruto slowly and eyed him up and down like a piece of meat – or like a horse on the market. Sai finally stopped in front of him and hmm'ed thoughtfully.

"Is something wrong, Sai?"

"No. I'm merely trying to come up with a new nickname for you. I'm not going to call you 'Dickless' anymore."

"You're _not_?!" Naruto's mouth fell open in absolute shock. He'd tried for _years_ to get Sai to stop using that insulting nickname – and he'd finally given up when he realized that it was Sai's tactless way of showing that he cared. And now he was going to stop? Just like that? "Why?"

"It no longer fits," Sai said gravely, with the air of someone imparting a profound philosophical truth. "You obviously have a functioning penis. Congratulations."

"Wha-"

"Okay!" Sakura interrupted hastily. She started pushing and shoving both Lee and Sai down the hall towards the Hokage's office at a breakneck pace. "We have to go now. We don't want to be late for our meeting with Tsunade-shisho! See you later, Naruto! Say hi to Hinata for me!"

And then they were gone.

Naruto shook his head, completely baffled.

_Oo-kaay. That was... unusual. Why are my friends so weird?_

**

* * *

Signs 6 and 7: Nesting syndrome and sensitive breasts**

Naruto shut the door quietly behind him, removed his shoes, and dropped his travel pack by the front door. Then he went looking for his wife. He found her in the apartment's second bedroom, which they used as a combination guest room and storage room. The room was sparse; it had a single futon next to a large window and about a dozen storage boxes stacked haphazardly in a corner. Or at least, that was the way the room _normally_ appeared. Hinata had pushed the futon and the boxes to the center of the room and covered them with several old bedsheets – leaving clear access to all four walls. She was staring at one wall with a look of deep contemplation on her face and a collection of small sample-sized cans of paint at her feet. Several sections of the previously off-white wall had been painted various shades of yellow and orange. The open window let in plenty of ventilation – and a cool breeze wafted through her hair, making it sway gently from side to side.

Suddenly, all he wanted to do was run his fingers through her hair and feel the smooth strands under his skin.

"I'm home, Hinata-chan."

Hinata spun around at the sound of his voice. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her husband standing in the doorway – safe and sound.

"Naruto-kun! You're back early!"

She was at his side and in his arms in less than a heartbeat. She raised her face in a wordless plea for a kiss – one that Naruto was _more_ than happy to grant. He seized the opportunity to tangle his fingers in her hair – and his awareness of the world shrank down to him, her, and the kiss they shared.

"How was your mission?" asked Hinata breathlessly a minute later.

"It was good. There were a few bandits and a missing nin from Suna, but nothing I couldn't handle," replied Naruto with a shrug. "But more importantly, how are you? How do you feel? Did you see a doctor? Have you been sick?"

"I'm fine – perfectly healthy! You worry too much, Naruto-kun," she chided gently. "I saw Sakura. She gave me some tips to help settle my nausea and told me to take it easy."

"Good," Naruto nodded. Then he glanced pointedly at the half-painted wall. "I see you've been busy re-decorating."

"I hope you don't mind," she said anxiously. "Since you've been gone, I've had this... this overwhelming _urge_ to clean and fix things up. I should have waited until you got back, but I _couldn't_. I just... I just _have_ to re-paint this room!"

"I don't mind at all, Hinata-chan." Naruto carefully examined the swatches of color on the wall. There were four large blocks of yellow – from a vibrant lemon yellow to a pale pastel yellow – each with a stroke of accent orange – from a bright tangerine to a light coral – below it. It looked as if Hinata had decided on the color scheme, but was having trouble deciding on the exact hues for the room. He pointed at a butter yellow and soft peach combination that reminded him of sunshine and flowers. "I like that one."

"Me, too," she agreed. "Those colors are perfect."

"Tsunade-baachan gave me a few days off. If you like, I can paint this room for you tomorrow."

He chuckled when Hinata visibly perked up at his offer.

"Thank you!"

"No problem, Hinata-chan. Tomorrow, okay? Right now, I'm tired and hungry."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I didn't realize! Would you like some soba? We have some left in the refrigerator. Let me prepare it for you. We also have some..."

"Hinata-chan."

"... tofu and _wakame_ and..."

"Hinata-chan," he interrupted firmly. "I wasn't talking about food."

"Oh... Oh!" She blushed at the innuendo – and at the way he was looking at her, as if _she_ was good enough to eat.

"Oh, yes. I'm tired and _hungry_," he said with a wicked grin. Naruto leaned forward and licked her lips teasingly... "Let's go to bed." … nibbled at her ear... "Right." … and sucked the side of her neck directly above her pulse, smirking slightly when he felt her pulse quickening under his mouth... "Now."

Several hours later...

Naruto lay back in bed, more content than he could ever remember being. He held his wife close and buried his face in her silky hair. Kissing her, touching her, and ultimately making love to her had been utter bliss and wonderful beyond words – as always. However, this time, there had been something _different_ about Hinata.

He knew Hinata inside and out. He knew everything about her – from her favorite blend of tea to her secret insecurities. He knew how to make her blush, how to make her laugh, and how to make her _want_ him as badly as he always wanted her. He knew everything about her body, too – from her head to her toes. He knew the exact number and location of each scar that she earned in the line of duty. He knew about the tiny mole behind her right ear. And he knew all about her breasts.

Or at least, he _thought_ he did, but...

Her breasts had been extra sensitive to his touch – and not in a good way. It almost seemed like it _hurt_ her if he so much as touched them. So as much as he'd wanted to, he'd immediately stopped and switched his attention to other parts of her beautiful body. And... It almost seemed like her breasts were _bigger_.

Was that even possible?!

He wondered briefly if he should ask Hinata about it in the morning, but soon discarded that idea. Women as a general rule were very sensitive about the size of their breasts – and Hinata was no exception. (She never believed him when he claimed that her breasts were _perfect_ just they way they were.)

_If I say anything, she'll either be horribly embarrassed – not good – or incredibly insulted – __**also**__ not good. I'd better not ask._

Decision made. Naruto let his mind relax and drifted off to sleep.

**

* * *

Signs 8 and 9: Prenatal vitamins and baby booties**

The next morning after breakfast, as Naruto was putting the dishes away, he absently noticed Hinata taking a white bottle from the cupboard by the door where they kept the first aid kit and medical supplies. At first glance, he couldn't make out the small text on the side of the bottle, but he could see the logo of the Konoha Pharmacy on the label. He didn't think anything of it, until Hinata poured herself a glass of water and shook two large tablets into the palm of her hand – obviously intending to take the pills with water.

"What are those?" he asked warily.

"These? These are the vitamins that Sakura gave me," she answered. She popped the vitamins in her mouth and swallowed. Then she took another sip of water. "Sakura says that it's very important for me to get enough folic acid in my condition. These vitamins will help, in case I don't get enough folic acid from the food that I eat – and they contain extra iron and calcium, which are important, too."

"Condition?!" The word came out sharper than he intended. Naruto took a deep breath and forced himself to speak normally. "What condition? You said that you were okay."

"I meant to tell you about it last night, but you... distracted me," she said with a blush. "Wait here. I have something for you."

Before Naruto could protest, Hinata disappeared only to reappear a moment later with a gift wrapped box in her hands.

"Here. This is for you."

Whatever it was, it was light.... Naruto gave it an experimental shake... and didn't make any noise. He looked at Hinata curiously.

"A present? But it's not my birthday."

"I know," she said with a touch of exasperation. "Can't I get you present just because? Are you going to open it?"

When Sakura had confirmed her pregnancy, Hinata made Sakura promise not to tell any of their friends – at least not until after she talked to Naruto first. She wanted to tell Naruto herself and didn't want him finding out from someone else accidentally. She had been trying to decide on the best way to break the news to him when she passed by "The Budding Leaf" – Konoha's specialty baby store – on the way home. Several pairs of the _cutest_ baby booties she had ever seen were on display in the window. As soon as she saw them, she knew _exactly_ how she wanted to tell Naruto.

Hinata watched anxiously as Naruto tore open the gift wrap and lifted the lid. For a long moment, he did nothing but stare blankly at his gift – and then he frowned. Her heart sank – and she could feel the sting of tears forming in her eyes. Did he... did he _not_ want a baby?

"You don't like them?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Oh, no. They're very nice, Hinata-chan," he said with a smile. "I like them."

She smiled back, relieved, yet disappointed by his reaction. Naruto didn't look particularly happy, but at least he wasn't _un_happy about it, either.

"Only..." He looked at the baby booties in the box again and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Why did you get me such tiny socks? They're not going to fit."

**

* * *

Sign 10: A direct announcement**

_Socks? _Hinata blinked once, twice, and then dissolved into giggles. When she managed to pull herself together, she kissed her adorably clueless husband on the cheek and grinned cheekily at him.

"They're not socks, Naruto-kun."

"They're not?"

"No."

"If they're not socks, then what are they?"

Hinata shook her head and tried not to laugh – again. If he didn't figure it out from the baby booties, then he wasn't going to figure it out. _I guess I just have to be more blunt._

"Naruto-kun, I'm expecting," she said firmly, clearly enunciating each word.

…

…

...

"Okay," he said after a long moment of silence.

"Okay?" Hinata frowned – and bit her lip uncertainly. That wasn't the reaction she'd been hoping for. She'd been hoping to surprise him – in a good way – and hoping that he'd be happy once he got over the shock. _At least, he's not upset about it,_ she thought optimistically. _ That has to be a good sign. Right?_ "You're okay with it?"

"Of course!" He paused and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Um... what are you expecting?"

* * *

… and thus, Naruto managed to miss all 10 not-so-subtle signs that his wife was pregnant.

* * *

"I'm expecting a _baby_, Naruto-kun."

"Wait... _What?!_"

Hinata _finally_ got the reaction she was hoping for.

**

* * *

Author's Notes:**

(1) In the Naruto manga, chapter 406, page 13, Shikamaru takes Naruto to see Kurenai-sensei. Naruto says to Kurenai: "You ate too much barbeque and now you're in the hospital?!" Kishimoto drew that scene for comedic relief – and it always made me laugh. But if you stop and think about it... It's so sad, too.

(2) _Soba_ is a noodle made from buckwheat flour. It's served cold with a dipping sauce or served hot in a broth as a noodle soup. _Wakame_ is a sea vegetable aka edible seaweed.

(3) Haha. Oblivious!Naruto is so much fun to write! :)

EDIT 9/2/09: Fixed a typo. Many thanks to Wandering Wonderer for pointing it out!

EDIT 9/3/09: Fixed _another_ typo. Many thanks to Lynns for pointing it out!


	10. It took 10 tiny toes

Title: Ten Defining Moments

Author: Shawny Wong

Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Theme: #10 #10

Disclaimer: The characters of Naruto belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This story is written without permission, for fan purposes only. Do not reproduce without permission.

* * *

**It took 10 tiny toes for Naruto to decide that...**

* * *

The Konoha Hospital never slept. In the middle of the night, while the rest of the village slumbered peacefully, it continued to buzz with activity. Doctors and nurses went about their shifts, making rounds, checking on patients, and filling out paperwork. The hospital was filled with artificial light and sound. Low voices could be heard throughout the building as nurses consulted with doctors or patients complained of aches and pains that left them unable to sleep. Medical instruments beeped at regular intervals – while at the nurses' station, a nurse checked a patient's medical chart on the computer, making a tap-tap-tap sound on the the keyboard.

Naruto ignored it all. He was completely, singlemindedly focused on his destination. He made his way down the corridor and slowly pushed open the door of the hospital nursery. There. There, behind the large observation window, lay Konoha's newest and youngest citizens. There was his _son_.

Naruto placed one hand flat against the cold glass and stared.

A single row of ten tiny babies lay inside the nursery. Each baby was wrapped securely in soft flannel blankets and placed his (or her) crib – which consisted of a clear plastic bin lined with a soft cushion on the bottom and attached securely to a rolling cart. Each crib also had a name card attached to the front with the baby's surname and unique medical number printed on it. But Naruto didn't need a name card to identify his son. He could tell by the head of dark spiky hair, by the telltale lavender eyes, and most importantly by the bond he felt deep in his heart.

His breath caught in his throat and for a moment he couldn't breathe.

His son was _beautiful_.

* * *

Hinata's contractions had started two days ago, signaling the onset of labor. Not once during those two days did Naruto leave her side. It hadn't been so bad in the beginning... but towards the end, Hinata had been in so much _pain_ – sweating, panting, and crying through each contraction – that it almost made him physically sick. All he could do was was hold her hand and whisper encouraging words to his wife.

Then came the unforgettable moment his son was born.

It was messy and bloody. It was terrifying. It was humbling.

It was _miracle_.

He caught a glimpse of a tiny bundle of wrinkled skin and flailing limbs and a head of dark hair in the doctor's hands as he passed the baby to his mother. Hinata held their son, while the doctor instructed Naruto to cut the umbilical cord. The next hour was a bit of a blur to Naruto – it went by much too quickly! The baby was measured, weighed, and footprinted. Hinata was instructed to deliver the afterbirth and then helped into a clean robe and moved to a clean bed. And Naruto... Naruto could _not_ take his eyes off the baby in Hinata's arms – _his_ baby! (He'd witnessed the birth, but still couldn't quite believe it!) And then, before he could protest, the baby was whisked away. It was a standard procedure, the doctor informed him kindly. The nurses would give the baby a sponge bath and run several tests to make sure that he was healthy. Then they would bring the baby back to his mother for his first feeding. In the meantime, they would take Hinata to a room in the maternity ward, so that she could rest and recover.

Hinata – exhausted from over 24 hours of active labor – fell asleep almost instantly.

"She's worn out, the poor dear," whispered a matronly nurse. "Let her rest a bit. We'll bring the baby to you in an hour."

_An hour?!_ Naruto couldn't wait an _hour_!

* * *

Naruto unconsciously leaned forward until his nose was only millimeters from touching the glass. He sighed wistfully, fogging up the window with his warm breath.

"Excuse me, sir? May I help you?"

He yelped and leapt away from the observation window – almost tripping over his own feet in the process. He flushed in embarrassment at his lack of coordination. He was a _jounin_ for goodness sake! From the corner of his eye, he could see the nurse (a plump older woman with spectacles and graying hair) trying to hide a smile – and he flushed even more.

"I just wanted to see my son," he said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The motion drew the nurse's attention to the hospital bracelet around his wrist. Both he and Hinata had been assigned identification bracelets when they checked into the hospital – and a third matching bracelet had been prepared for their baby. She smiled and nodded in understanding. With over a dozen years of experience in the maternity ward of the hospital, she could spot a new father a mile away.

"Would you like to hold him?"

"Yes!" he blurted. "Can I?"

"Of course! You'll have to stay in the nursery, but as long as you're wearing the matching ID bracelet, then you can hold him as much as you like." She gestured to his bracelet. "May I?"

Naruto obediently held his wrist out. The nurse jotted down the name and medical number on her clipboard and smiled at him.

"Wait here, Uzumaki-san. I'll be right back."

He didn't have long to wait. The nurse returned with a small wrapped bundle in her arms.

Naruto eagerly reached out to take the baby and froze.

It was ironic. Truly, it was.

For the past few months, he'd wanted nothing more than to meet his son – to hold him. He'd dreamed of this moment. He'd craved this moment _so badly_ that he would have _killed_ for it. Literally. But when the nurse held the baby out to him, Naruto was suddenly struck by how _tiny_ his son really was. He looked so small, so fragile, and so damned delicate that Naruto was afraid to touch him. What if he hurt the baby? He'd never held a baby before! What was he thinking anyways?

_Right. Hinata can take care of the baby until he's older and **tougher**... I can wait a few months... or years even. Maybe I'll give him a hug when he's five or six... or ten._

His arms dropped to his sides and he took a step back.

"Ah... maybe this wasn't such a good idea," he mumbled. "I... I don't know what to do."

The nurse seemed to understand his unspoken fear.

"Don't worry, Uzumaki-san," she said reassuringly. "You won't hurt the baby. Just remember to support his head and you'll be just fine. Here. Why don't you have a seat first?"

The nurse led him to one of several squashy armchairs in the nursery and waited for him to sit.

"Now hold out your arms, like so... and here you go!" She expertly transferred the baby into his waiting arms.

It happened so fast that Naruto wasn't given the chance to panic. One second, the baby was in the professional and capable hands of the maternity ward nurse. The next second, the baby was deposited in his clumsy embrace – and he _still_ didn't know what to do! (Naruto was _very_ glad he was sitting down because sitting down minimized the chances of him accidentally _dropping_ the baby.) The nurse untucked a corner of the swaddling blanket just enough to expose one miniature foot and the ID bracelet secured around the baby's ankle. She double checked the baby's ID ("Uzumaki Boy, 10/27 0010, MR# 1077913010"), nodded in satisfaction, and covered up the baby's foot once more.

"Congratulations, Uzumaki-san," she smiled. "You have a healthy baby boy."

Naruto looked down at the baby in his arms and was instantly captivated. The baby opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at him. Then the little guy yawned. A huge goofy grin crossed Naruto's face. _He was holding his son!_ Out of curiosity, Naruto mimicked the nurse's earlier action and untucked the blanket just enough to expose the baby's feet... and his tiny toes.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten._

His son had ten toes.

Imagine that: ten perfect little toes!

Fascinated, Naruto counted them again.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!_

He had the most _amazing_ baby boy. He really did!

Naruto kissed his son gently on the cheek... and then proceeded to count his little toes _one_ more time, before tucking the blanket back into place. He leaned back in the squashy armchair and shifted to make himself more comfortable. As he settled down to watch his son sleep, Naruto came to one unexpected conclusion.

… **10 was his favorite number in the whole wide world.**

Fin.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

(1) 10 down, 20 kisses to go! (For the first 9 kisses, please see _One Small Step_ and _One Small Detour_.)

(2) You know… I'm feeling kind of gypped. This only counts for _one_ kiss theme?! I feel that after writing so many different kisses for this one story – and taking over a year to finish – it should really count for more!

(3) This chapter featured Naruto-and-baby, instead of NaruHina. I _wanted_ to add Hinata – and I tried – but adding Hinata completely changed the mood I wanted to achieve. (_shrug_)

(4) To all the people who reviewed and/or added this story to alerts and favorites: Thank you very much!


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